Stained Glass Fate
by Trance
Summary: .chapter rewrite. A girl who knows the story line, but not willing to tell. A young boy who knows nothing of his future. A man trying to repent for his sins. A woman behind a waterfall... Fate shall be changed...


Another day, another dollar. It seemed that was how life was going to be for her. Not that it was so bad, because after all, there were worser spots to be in. And at least she got to go home to her lover each day too. Being with him usually seemed to make everything better, so life was worth it. 

She just hoped that she would be able to finish her college classes and get her degree soon, so then she wouldn't be stuck waitressing forever. The tips weren't bad, but there was money to be made elsewhere, and she was going to find it.

Her shift was almost over, and she would be able to go home and rest soon. Her feet were aching to be rid of the weight they were supporting. Just a little bit longer.  
There was snow on the ground, in the air, everywhere, but she loved it. Winter was her favorite season. It was unfortunate that she often got sick during it though, which caused her walk quickly back home.

She didn't live too far from work, which saved her from the rising gas prices alot. It was a quick walk down the road and straight through a field and she would be home. Automatically her thoughts went to curling up in her warm bed and falling asleep until her fiance came back from work, which wasn't going to be too long.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts, that had she not been, she might have heard the quiet but noticable cracking noise under her feet. Her friends had always told her that she ought to listen to the world more, and right as she fell beneath the ice and into the cold water, she wished that she had.

She was so cold and her muscles didn't want to function. She wanted to scream for help, but knew that she had to conserve air, no matter how little it might help in the long run. It also occured to her that there was not supposed to be a lake here.

Her muscles her frozen, but she found that she could slowly move them. She looked up only to find that the top of the lake that she was not supposed to be in was far away. She thought that she would drown soon, and that when her body was found she would be an ice cube fit for a giant. She tried to go up anyways, no matter how much it hurt to move or how long it took for her arms and legs to move. She was quickly running out of air and losing consciousness.

That's when she saw a light from the bottom of the lake. It was a bright white with small wisps of green. It grew brighter and she could feel warmth. It started to bring feeling back into her body, but none of it seemed to matter because she was still losing consciousness due to lack of air anyways.

* * *

Cold. That was all she could feel, the first thought to come to her head as she began to regain consciousness. Her eyes felt like they were frozen shut, and she struggled to open them. If took a few minutes, but she finally managed. Things were blurry at first, but she finally managed to discern the things around her.

Trees. Glowing white trees.

Slowly she pushed herself up into a sitting position. It occured to her now that she was soaked, hence the reason she was so cold. Looking around once more, there was more than just the glowing trees. There was a lake, and beyond it, what looked like a giant shell. She found it somewhat odd that the first thought to come to her mind was 'Definitely not in Kansas anymore.'

Strange, but most certainly true. She was not where she had been before. But worse, when she tried to remember where she'd been before, there was nothing but a blank drawn in her head.

She looked to the lake, and something formed in her head. Tables, people everywhere. She'd been at work. The snow, because it had after all been winter. And then the field, falling through the lake. 'But there was no lake there. There never has been.' She remembered last spring, sitting at her apartment window doing schoolwork, looking over at the field, minus the lake. 'Then I fell through. I fell far from the surface. Then that light. What was it coming from? It was so warm...'

She brought her hand up to her head, feeling a slight headache approaching. Her hand didn't come as far as the object in it did. She looked down to her hand and found a small orb in her palm. It was a glowing white, with small wisps of green. 'The light...was it coming from this?'

A faint sound.

It interrupted her thoughts, frightening her at first so badly that she sprung to her feet. She looked around, but found nothing that she perceived could make such a sound. The more she listened, the more she realized it was a melody of sorts. It was calm and soothing, like a mothers lullaby. She somehow knew that it was meant to calm her, to tell her it was safe here, even though she couldn't figure out how. And even so, she didn't think that she could feel safe here, or anywhere, at the current moment.

Taking another look at her surroundings, she found it to be night. The moon was reflecting on the calm water of the lake she stood at, in a clearing of trees. Across the lake, the giant shell, which had an opening that seemed like a sort of doorway.

'Inside'

It was like the melody, but words. A voice to match. She was unsure that she should trust this voice, but once again, that inexpicable reasoning told her it was okay. Looking around she found her bag, which had miraculously made it's way with her to wherever this place was. She picked it up and circled around the lake to the shell house.

* * *

The most she could figure out was that whoever built this place really had the shell idea going for him. The inside was nearly perfectly curved, and the floor was like a ramp going ever higher into the structure. She walked around, and came to a stop near a giant fish that was in the center of the way up. It was a strange sight to see, and there was something funny about it, not quite right.

She reached out to touch it only to have it disappear on contact. It gave way to a set of crystal stairs that went down. Placing a foot down on one, she found them to be stable.

'Down'

Again came the voice. The sweet melody. It was inside her head, seemingly comforting her. She was unsure why she trusted it, but she did and followed it's directions. Down the stairs she went, down into the city beneath.

'It's so beautiful. Like a dream place.' Everything in the city beneath seemed to have a small glow of their own. Never before had she seen anything like it. The air was warm, keeping her from freezing like up above.

She reached the bottom of the stairs, looking at the small city. There were a few bulidings, and a platform in the middle of a smaller lake with stone steps emerging from the water going up to it. But by the looks of it, you would have to carefully jump from stone to stone to get to it. She experienced a short feeling of deja vu. She'd seen it before, but that would have been impossible. 'I've never been here before. Why would I feel that?'

Movement. She saw it from the corner of her eye. She whirled, looking for who or whatever made the movement.

She stood not even twenty feet away. Long, brown, wavy hair came down her shoulders, her green eyes sparkled in the light. She was wearing a red dress that came down to her ankles, though it was ripped in a few places. She looked like she'd been through hell, and there was slight fear in her eyes.

'Friend. Talk.'

Talk. Would this woman even understand her? It was worth a shot though, just to see. Maybe then the mystery of this place would be solved.

"Hello." It was all she could say. The woman eyed her, as if in contemplation. At first, it seemed like she didn't understand. Then a smile formed on her face.

"Hello. My name is Ifalna. What is yours?"


End file.
